Junior Requirements Committee Announces Rule Changes for 2019 Season

The Junior Requirements Committee has announced three changes to the springboard competition requirements for junior divers that will take effect January 1, 2019. These rule changes are created to instill sound developmental practices for all divers within the organization in order to more effectively transition between each age group. Emphasis and focus is placed on proper skill acquisition and execution of each dive over the difficulty of the dives. The intent is that, in time, this will help create divers who have a sound foundation of skills that will enable them to execute the more difficult dives with greater ease and proficiency.

The most significant of these changes affects the Group B (14-15) girls, who will now be required to perform four optional dives when competing in springboard events. The change was implemented to provide a more cohesive progression from Group C (three optionals) to Group B (four optionals) to Group A (five optionals).

Additionally, both boys and girls in Group C (12-13) will now be able to choose whether their back and reverse voluntaries are done in the tuck or pike position. Previously, divers were required to perform one in the tuck position and one in the pike position. The committee did not want to force newer divers to rush into doing a back or reverse dive in the pike position. It is more important that coaches have the freedom and flexibility to progress divers in a safe, fundamentally sound manner.

Finally, all voluntary dives performed by boys and girls in both 9 & under and 11 & under age groups will now have an assigned degree of difficulty of 1.8 on 1-meter and 1.9 on 3-meter. This change will reinforce the concept of quality over quantity by removing the incentive of choosing the highest DD dives for the ‘01 tucks and instead choose the highest quality dives possible.

(a) 9 & Under Boys and Girls (five dives). The contest shall consist of three voluntary dives from different groups and all must be ’01 dives in the tuck position (101c, 201c, 301c, 401c), followed by two optional dives from different groups with a degree of difficulty limit of 2.2 on 1-meter and 2.6 on 3-meter. All voluntary dives will have an assigned degree of difficulty of 1.8 on 1-meter and 1.9 on 3-meter.

(b) 11 & Under/10-11 Boys and Girls (six dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers will perform three (3) voluntary dives and must all be ’01 dives in the tuck position (101c, 201c, 301c, 401c), followed by three (3) optional dives from different groups with a degree of difficulty limit of 2.2 on 1-meter and 2.6 on 3-meter. All voluntary dives will have an assigned degree of difficulty of 1.8 on 1-meter and 1.9 on 3-meter.

(c) 12/13 (FINA Group C)/13 & Under Girls (eight dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers will perform five (5) voluntaries from different groups, followed by three optional dives from different groups. All voluntary dives will have an assigned degree of difficulty of 1.8 on 1-meter and 1.9 on 3-meter. When doing the front/inward voluntary, one (1) must be tuck and one (1) must be pike. When the doing the back/reverse voluntary, divers may choose to do dives in either tuck or pike. There shall be a limit of degree of difficulty of 2.4 for 1-meter optional dives and 2.8 for 3-meter optional dives.

(d) 12/13 (FINA Group C)/13 & Under Boys (eight dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers will perform five (5) voluntaries from different groups, followed by three optional dives from different groups. All voluntary dives will have an assigned degree of difficulty of 1.8 on 1-meter and 1.9 on 3-meter. When doing the front/inward voluntary, one (1) must be tuck and one (1) must be pike. When the doing the back/reverse voluntary, divers may choose to do dives in either tuck or pike. There shall be a limit of degree of difficulty of 2.4 for 1-meter optional dives and 2.8 for 3-meter optional dives.

(e) 14/15 (FINA Group B) Boys (nine dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers shall perform five voluntary dives, one from each group, with a cumulative degree of difficulty not to exceed 9.0 for one meter and 9.5 for three meter, followed by four optional dives from different groups without limit of degree of difficulty.

(f) 14/15 (FINA Group B) Girls (nine dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers shall perform five voluntary dives, one from each group, with a cumulative degree of difficulty not to exceed 9.0 for one meter and 9.5 for three meter, followed by four optional dives from different groups without limit of degree of difficulty.

(g) 16-18 (FINA Group A)/16-17/18-19 Girls (ten (10) dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers shall perform five voluntary dives, one from each group, with a cumulative degree of difficulty not to exceed 9.0 for one meter and 9.5 for three meter, followed by five (5) optional dives from five (5) groups without limit of degree of difficulty.

(h) 16-18 (FINA Group A)/16-17/18-19 Boys (eleven (11) dives). For 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, divers shall perform five voluntary dives, one from each group, with a cumulative degree of difficulty not to exceed 9.0 for 1-meter and 9.5 for 3-meter, followed by six (6) optional dives from five groups, with one group being repeated, without limit of degree of difficulty.